As I look at the threat intelligence platforms and other IT solutions claiming to be artificial intelligence platforms, I can only surmise that this coincidence is in lockstep with the dumbing down of America. “Artificial intelligence is intelligence displayed by machines, in contrast with the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals,” as defined by Wikipedia surmises that computer systems must display the same level of intelligence as humans or even animals. If this is the case and based on what I have witnessed over the past few years in the United States, I am forced to agree with this definition. Therefore, I would agree with the Cylance’s and Crowdstrike’s of the world who claim to have artificial intelligence within their platforms. I would just be suspect that the platform IQ is hovering well below that of a Gumpian character or someone who pattern matches a rhino and lion to invalidate dementia. Should we try the definition again? ”A computer can beat the world chess champion and understand voice commands on your smartphone, but real artificial intelligence has yet to arrive,” as per the BBC. And that computer is Watson, not a few VMs strung together amongst some CPUs. That seems much more in line with the technical capabilities. “The experts predict that AI will outperform humans in the next 10 years in tasks such as translating languages (by 2024), writing high school essays (by 2026), and driving trucks (by 2027),” according to a May 2017 MIT Tech Review article. That is hardly true AI. If you ask several security vendors (wait for RSA 2018 – San Francisco), we have AI now and it is destroying adversary malware and hackers.

“We also struggle to understand what’s meant by intelligence. For example, AI experts consistently underestimated the ability of AI to play Go. Many thought, in 2015, it would take until 2027. In the end, it took two years, not twelve. But does that mean AI is any closer to being able to write the Great American Novel, say? Does it mean it is any closer to conceptually understanding the world around it? Does it mean that it’s any closer to human-level intelligence?” – By Thomas Hornigold – Jan 01, 2018

Before you buy the next new and shining offering that claims to be AI, have someone give you a gentle cuff side the head as a wakeup call to the noise that is being presented. These are at best incremental gains doing battle against a much more devious and faster adversary. Magazines are touting AI, companies are touting AI, and you are buying snake oil. Not much has changed over the years. This is AI snake oil based in a failed premise of see-detect-and arrest. A losing proposition and you are paying a premium to fail for after-the-fact ‘prevention.’ Wake up CISOs. Demand better.